Artwork
Landscape at a waterfall

Landscape at a waterfall is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Alexander Keirincx. It dates from 1636 and is held in the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1636, *Landscape at a Waterfall* is an oil painting by Flemish artist Alexander Keirincx. Executed during his period of activity in the Dutch Republic, the work portrays a wooded scene dominated by a cascading waterfall, framed by trees, hills and a sky of muted blue. The composition includes a figure in motion and a dog, adding narrative interest to the natural setting.
Subject & Meaning
The central motif is a forested waterfall, rendered with a sense of depth that draws the eye toward the distant hills. A man in a light shirt and dark trousers rushes toward the water, accompanied by a dog, suggesting a moment of pursuit or exploration within the landscape. The inclusion of human and animal figures serves to animate the otherwise tranquil environment.
Technique & Style
Keirincx employs the oil medium to achieve a layered, richly textured surface, allowing subtle gradations of green and brown to convey foliage and rock. The handling of light on the water and the atmospheric sky reflects the Dutch Golden Age’s attention to naturalistic detail, while the composition balances foreground activity with a receding background, typical of his wooded landscapes.
History & Provenance
The painting belongs to the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s Dutch Golden Age holdings. Keirincx, trained in Antwerp, spent much of his career in the Dutch Republic before later receiving commissions in England, but this work dates from his earlier Dutch period.
Context
*Landscape at a Waterfall* exemplifies the 17th‑century Dutch interest in idealized yet realistic nature scenes, a genre in which Keirincx specialized alongside collaborators such as Cornelis van Poelenburch. The work reflects contemporary tastes for detailed forest vistas that combined topographical observation with a subtle narrative element, aligning it with the broader Flemish‑Dutch landscape tradition.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alexander Keirincx (23 January 1600 in Antwerp – 1652 in Amsterdam) was a Flemish landscape painter who is known for his wooded landscapes with figures as well as his 'portraits' of English castles and country houses.



















